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Nigel Farage has said “bigots” and “extremists” are not welcome in Reform UK as he set out his plans to “professionalise” the party after the general election.
The ex-UKIPer claimed the party was “coming of age” after it returned five MPs in July, but conceded the party had not been “professional enough” to properly vet candidates.
A series of revelations about the online activities of some of its would-be MPs threatened to seriously embarrass the party after links to a British fascist leader were unearthed as well as some uncouth comments made regarding Adolf Hitler and his “brilliant” ability to inspire action.
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Speaking in Birmingham, Farage said the initial structure had allowed the party not to be infiltrated by “extremist groups”, adding that new political parties were often vulnerable to being “hijacked”.
He added: “We don’t want extremists, we don’t want bigots, we don’t want people who think that way, because we represent the silent, decent majority of this great country.”
His comments resulted in a slew of reactions on social media, with most people making a similar point:
